Spacer-bar for wire fences.



No. 657,|28. Patented Sept. 4, |900.

W. MGCLOSKEY SPACER BAR FDR WIRE FENCES.

(Application led Feb. '21, 1900.)

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Unirrnn STATES JPATnNr einen.

VILLIAM MCCLOSKEY, OF VINDSOR, CANADA.

SPACER-BAR FOR WIRE FENCES.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 657,128, dated September 4 1900. Application tiled February 21, 1900. Serial No. 6,054. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that l, WILLIAM McCLosKnY, a citizen of Canada, residing at Windsor, in the county of Essex and Provinceof Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spacer-Bars for /Vire Fences, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an auxiliary device for holding the linewires of a wire fence apart while weaving on the intersecting vertical wires or so-called staysg and the objects of the invention are to providea spacing device adapted to be used in wire fences in which the top strand may be of barbed or other wire and, further, to construct the device so that it will be of simple construction, expedite the work of weaving, and make a neat-appearing perfect fence.

To this end the invention embodies certain new features of construction, all as more fully hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings which accompany this specification, Figure l is a side elevation of my improved spacing` device. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof, showing the device as engaged upon the line-wires of a fence. Fig. 8 is another side elevation showing the operation of the hinged jaw. Fig. 4 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective of the upper end of the spacing-bar, showing it as in the operation of weaving on a stay-wire. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the upper end of the spacing-bar of slightlynnodiiied construction.

A is a bar provided at intervals apart with wireguides formed by means of straight pins a, fastened into the bar, and bent pins l), secured adjacent thereto. The bent pins b, which may be ordinary screw-hooks screwed into the bar A, if turned as in Fig. l form closed guides and if turned as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 form open guides. On the side 0pposite to the one which has the wire-guides a shoulder c is formed at the lower end of the bar, opposite to the lowermost wire-guide on the bar.

To the upper end of the bar A, at one side thereof, is pivotally secured the handlever B, the upper arm of which forms, in connection with the upper portion of the bar, a jaw adapted to hold and grasp the top wire between them. This lever is provided at its lower end with a handgrip C, which extends at right angles thereto across the face of the bar and is adapted to be engaged bya latch-hook D, pivot-ally secured to the side of the bar. The upper arm of the lever B has upon its outer face a projection or bill E, adapted to hold the free end of the stay-wire, as shown in Fig. 5. At the point where the lever B grasps the top wire a shoulder o2 may loe formed on the bar, as shown in Figs. l and 3, or this shoulder maybe dispensed with, as in Fig. 6.

In practice, F representing the ordinary line-wires of a fence and G a top strand of wire, the line-wires F are engaged between the wire-guides a b, as in Fig. l, and the top strand G is inserted into the jaw on top of the bar. The operator, who stands in front of the device, which is the side upon which the handle C is, has thus his left hand in position to grasp the handle C and manipulate the lever B, so as to release and again grasp the top wire, as will be necessary in shifting the device on the wires if the top strand should be of barbed wire. As the latch D is adjacent to the thumb of the hand when holding the handle C the operator can readily unlatch it, while the latching is done automat ically. The stay is secured to the linewires in the usual manner by wrapping it around each wire. In starting to weave a stay in place the operator iirst inserts the free end of the stay II under the bill E, as shown in Fig. 5. This holds it while he wraps the stay around the top wire Gin the usual manner, and after the stay is secured in place by wrapping it successively around the remaining wires the un locking of the latch and throwing up of the lever disengages the bill E from the stay-wire and permits the device to be shifted in posiA tion for securing a new stay. In this manner no time is lost in weaving the fence by the operation connected with securing the stay initially to the spacing device, and, further, there is no wire wasted, as the bill E is quite close to the strand G, and thus no unsightly appearance is produced by the loose ends.

It will be seen that the spacer can be used IOO in two Ways, either by engaging the wires F between the pins and then turning up the bent pins, as in Figs. l and 2, to form closed leyes which hold the spacer on the wires, or

yble the space between the stays, and then Weave on the intermediate stays from the opposite side by using the spacer as in Figs. 3 and 4, which permits of readily taking it off the wires and rengaging it again. A fence woven in this manner is much .more perfect than one in which the stays are allwoven on from one side, as the alternate stays counteract each other in their tendency to bulge the fence.

The spacer, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, is especially ad apied for weavin g stays on barbed wire.

What I claim as my invention isl. The spacing-bar formed with a jaw at its upper end composed of the upper end of Ithe bar as the stationary member and of a lever pivotally secured thereto and forming with its upper arm vthe movable member adapted to be extended rearwardly beneath the top wire of the fence and to be looked in position against the stationary member to conne the top Wire between the members of the jaw, said lever extending with its lower arm in front of the bar and having a handle for operating it, and an automatically-operating loeking-latch for said lever adjacent to said handle.

2. The spacing-bar formed with a jaw at its upper end composed of the upper end of said bar as the stationary member and of a lever pivotally secured thereto and forming with its upper arm the movable member adapted to be extended rearwardly below the top wire of the fence, a handle on said' lever extending in front of the spacing-bar, an automatie locking-latch for locking said lever to the bar when the jaw is closed, and means on said lever adjacent to the top wire of the fence for holding the end of the stay-wire in position when the lever is looked and to release the same by the operation of said lever.

3. In a spacing device, the combination with the spacing-bar and its Wire-guides for spacing the feneeswires thereon, of the jaw on thel upper end of the spacing-bar, and the shoulder c on lthe lower end thereof opposite the lower wire-guides, said jaw and shoulder cooperating to hold the bar removably in position on the fence irrespective of the wireguides.

4t. In a spacing device, the combination of the bar A, the lever B pivotally secured to the upper end of the bar and forming in eonnection therewith means for engaging and lookin g the bar to the top wire,the wire-guides formed of the straight pins o. and bent pins b, and the shoulder c on the bar opposite the lowest wire-guide.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VILLIAM MCCLOSKEY.

Witnesses:

NORMAN T. MOKEE, J No. WAUGH. 

